After the Avenger
by Reinao Tanaka
Summary: While traveling with Team Hebi, Sasuke runs into someone who makes him think that life after being an Avenger won't be so bad. SasuHina. One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Because it wanted to be written.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Kishimoto-sama. The words are mine.

* * *

The ninjas of Konoha were idiots--all of them. This recent situation only proved it in Uchiha Sasuke's mind. He crouched there on a tree branch, only yards away from where the three chuunin and one jounin sat around a campfire.

One of them, a brown-haired male with red triangles on his cheeks, tossed a scrap of meat to the hulking canine which lay next to him. The Uchiha vaguely recognized him as Kiba, a troublemaker who was friends with Uzumaki Naruto. The dog, then, was Akamaru, though it was much larger than the puppy he remembered it being.

Next to Kiba was a second male, this one covered from head to toe. The hooded jacket and dark sunglasses, which he wore even though the sun had set several hours ago, rang a bell in the Uchiha's mind. He was from the bug clan, the Aburame, but he was not important enough for Sasuke to remember his name.

Across the fire was a dark-haired, crimson-eyed jounin. At first glance, Sasuke had imagined that she was a forgotten member of his own clan, a Sharingan user. But a closer glance had dispelled that vain hope. Bitterness swelled in Sasuke's chest. He was, after all, the last Uchiha--he and his brother Itachi. With the power Orochimaru had granted him, he believed the day would soon come when he truly was the last of his clan...or, better yet, the head of a new clan. He dismissed her too, turning his scrutiny to the final member of the group.

This one was also a female. She was made from finer material than her jounin counterpart, delicate and graceful even when doing no more than sitting. Her skin was pale, contrasting the dark clothing she wore. Her silvery eyes reflected the firelight with a purity that would set the moon to shame.

He tore his gaze away from her, his dark eyes narrowing. He was no poet; he cared nothing for either females or beauty, His life was centered around war, killing, and blood. He was a ninja, an Avenger. So why had this woman...no, this girl caught his attention?

The chuunin was a Hyuuga, her eyes attested to her heritage. Actually, judging by her age, this was none other than the heiress to the clan! He recalled her being a trembling, shy little weakling. If she was anything like she used to be...A smirk crossed his sharp features. This could actually be quite fun.

Sasuke withdrew quietly, returning to the clearing not too far away where his own team camped. The red-haired female, Karin, threw her arms around him the moment he entered the firelight.

"Sasuke-kun, I was so worried about you!" she whispered.

Well, her tone was soft, but still piercing enough to cause him to wince. He pulled himself away from her grasp, sitting beside Juugo and wordlessly taking the cup of heated ramen the giant handed him. He poked at the noodles with his chopsticks, breathing in the smell as he closed his eyes. The pungent aroma reminded him of simpler times--sitting beside Naruto at the Ichiraku ramen stand, trying to ignore his blond friend as he slurped noisily at the noodles. Times like that had almost made him willing to forget the thoughts of revenge which festered in his heart, to spend the rest of his life as a ninja of Konoha.

"Is it cold, Sasuke-kun?" Karin's voice, which grated on his nerves far more than Sakura's ever had, drew him from his thoughts.

He still ignored her, finally taking a bite from his ramen.

"What's the plan, Sasuke-san?" it was the final member of his team, Suigetsu, who spoke.

"We're going to have some fun," Sasuke began, drawing a toothy smile from Suigetsu, "There's a team from Konoha camped nearby. We're going to give them a mission to remember. Juugo, you will go after the jounin. Suigetsu, the chuunin with the dog. Karin, the hooded chuunin. I will take the last one. Hit hard and split them up. Don't kill unless you have no other choice. That is an order."

His team listened intently, for this was the most their leader had spoken in weeks. Sasuke set aside his ramen cup and stood, checking his chokuto to ensure that it slid easily from its sheath.

"Quietly," his last command was directed toward Karin and Suigetsu, who tended to bicker like children regardless of where they were.

.oOo.oOo.

Team Eight never knew what hit them. One minute, they were sitting around their fire, eating and joking with the ease of those who know their companions nearly as well as they know themselves, the next they were fighting for their very lives. Sasuke locked gazes with Hinata, singling her out from her teammates.

He saw the fear enter those pale eyes, making her vulnerable. Like a border collie driving a sheep, he isolated her from the protection of her fellow chuunin, pushing her out into the darkness of the wood. Just when he thought that she really would be no challenge, she gathered herself and began to fight back in earnest.

Intending to toy with her a bit first, he left his sword sheathed and went after her hand-to-hand, though he was careful to keep her chakra-laden fingers from touching his tenketsu. She was doing rather well, he had to admit, though he left his Sharingan inactivated. Not even that idiot Naruto had had the distinction of seeing his eyes bleed to crimson. After several minutes of fighting, during which he pushed her further from her companions, he pulled back. They were both panting lightly.

"Wh-why are y-you d-doing this?" she stammered.

In an odd way, he found the speech impediment endearing. His eyes dropped to her lips, then he flinched and dragged his gaze back to her eyes. What was this girl doing to him?

"Show me the true power of your Byakugan," he urged.

Her stance changed subtly as he started toward her again.

"Shugo Hakke Rokujyuyonshou," she murmured.

As the petite girl began to trace glowing chakra lines around her body, Sasuke was reluctantly forced to admit that he was impressed. He activated his own Sharingan as he moved forward to attack. The two went head-to-head, appearing evenly matched as ten minutes stretched to twenty. At last, one of Sasuke's kicks slipped through her guard, driving the air from her lungs. She fell to her knees, coughing out a few drops of blood. Sasuke knelt in front of her, laying an aristocratic hand on her chin. His thumb wiped away the stain left by her blood. He smirked as her eyes darted over his shoulder.

"My team is keeping yours quite busy," he stated.

Her silver eyes met his own, unafraid yet questioning. His hand left her chin, tongue darting out to lick her blood from his thumb. The action had been an unconscious one but, as fear again entered her eyes, he realized how much he must have seemed like his former sensei in that moment.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She looked even more startled.

"W-what?" she stammered.

"I am not Orochimaru," he said firmly.

"I-I didn't...gomen, Sa-Sasuke-san," she stammered.

He bent his head suddenly, closing the slight distance between their lips. Her gasp was muffled against his mouth, but it served to make his pulse quicken more than their fight had. Her small fingers brushed against his bare chest, then settled there. A shiver went down his spine a second before chakra shot through him, all but paralyzing him. The girl easily pushed him to the ground.

"N-naruto-kun will be happy to have you b-back in Konoha. He has n-never stopped s-searching for you a-all th-these years," she said.

He lay there quietly for a long moment, eyes closed. Suddenly, they flew open, the tomoe within them spinning.

"I cannot return until I have completed my duty as an Avenger," he said.

She flinched, careful not to meet his gaze.

"Let us h-help you," she said.

His hand lifted with a speed which stunned her, catching hold of her delicate wrist. Her eyes flew up to his, and were caught in the grip of his doujutsu.

"My brother killed every single member of my clan by himself, therefore I must kill him on my own. I do not need the help of that imbecile or any of the other idiots in Konoha," he growled.

Hurt flashed in the depths of her eyes and his hold gentled, though he did not release her from the Sharingan.

"Hyuuga," he paused, realizing that, while she recalled his name, he had completely forgotten hers.

"Hinata," she supplied quietly.

"Hinata," he repeated, his tone nearly matching hers.

His hand had shifted so that his long fingers were lightly caressing the smooth skin of her arm. He felt her shiver under his touch.

"I will return to Konoha one day, after my brother is dead," his voice dropped to a purr, "And I will be wanting to rebuild my clan."

She blushed, "I am in l-love with N-naruto-kun."

His lips captured hers again as her eyes widened in protest. Whereas the first kiss had been hard and demanding, this one was coaxing. His muscular arms gathered her close, melding her dainty frame to his lean form. His eyes remained fixed on hers, keeping her from using any jutsu against him, but not stopping her from any attempt to push him away.

He hummed his approval when she relaxed against him, eyes closing as her hands slid into his hair. She knew this was wrong, knew she was betraying the oblivious Naruto by kissing his best friend and rival, but was unwilling to stop herself. No wonder all the girls had been in love with the moody Avenger. He could kiss!

When they pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. Hinata slowly became aware of her position. She was sitting on Sasuke's lap, arms wrapped around his neck while his own hands were tangled in her long hair. The Uchiha appeared far too smug for his own good, but all she could manage was a dark blush.

"Your team is coming for you," Sasuke whispered.

She tried to stand, but he pulled her back against him and laid another sound kiss on her. Only when she was half-dazed did he pull away.

"Mine," he growled against her lips before setting her aside and standing.

He vanished into the woods only seconds before the bedraggled members of Team Eight came into sight. Kiba immediately ran to the girl's side.

"Hi-Hinata!" he exclaimed.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Was it just him, or was there more than just concern for a teammate in the Inuzuka's tone? He would chop off the chuunin's hands if he dared touch the Hyuuga.

"She must be under a genjutsu," the jounin said, brushing Kiba aside to reach her student.

Hinata blinked, blushing to find her teammates all gathered around her.

"I-Iie, I am fine," she stammered.

"We should return to Konoha," Shino said lowly.

"Akamaru can carry Hinata!" Kiba offered.

"I'm fine, Kiba-kun," the girl said, quickly regaining her wits.

The jounin helped her to her feet and they started back in the direction of their home. Hinata paused once, looking back in his direction. Sasuke smirked.

"Are you injured, Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked, coming up behind him.

"Let's go," he said.

Suddenly, he found himself looking forward to life beyond his older brother's death.

* * *

Just in case...gomen means 'sorry' and iie means 'no.'

I WIN!! I finally wrote a one-shot! I never realized how hard it was to keep them short until I tried doing it, but I have finally succeeded! n.n This story was inspired by an artist on DeviantArt who made a SasuHina pic with the description: 'sometimes the stolen kisses are the best.' What can I say, weird things inspire me.

Please leave me a review!


	2. AUTHOR NOTE

A/N: Just wanted to let you know that the sequel to this story has been posted. It is called 'A New Beginning.' You can find it on my profile, or you can do a search on .

**Blackraven615:** I did a search and I think I found the same piece that originally inspired me. It is called 'sasuhina' and it is by kaname87.

Thanks you to everyone else who reviewed or favorited this story!


End file.
